Ver, Oír, etc.
Is there a difference between saying "Lo vi correr" and "Lo vi correindo"? My understanding is that for verbs like "ver" or "oír" or "esuchar" (so the senses) the former means the person I saw was running and the latter means I myself was running.
I'm not 100% sure so can someone clarify the difference between:
Miré a Juan caminar
Miré a Juan caminando.
Also, what about verbs that don't relate to the sense like
Encontré con Juan bailar
Encontré con Juan bailando
4 Answers
Lo vi correr = I saw run/running that way, and I haven't seen him since.
Lo vi corriendo = I saw him running while I was watering the plants and I have or not seen him again.
Me Encontré con Juan para bailar
Me Encontré con Juan bailando
Me Encontré a Juan bailando
Now, you translate those three to English and tell me what you think.
"Lo vi correr". There is no doubt about this meaning.
"Lo vi corriendo". This could mean either, so context is needed or a different structure, ie: Mientras andaba (yo) por el parque lo vi corriendo / Corriendo (yo) en la mañana, lo vi sentado en el parque.
These are cases when the personal pronoun can help to avoid confusion and is not considered redundant.
Interesting. I don't know definitively, but in both cases, you've mentioned the direct object Lo, and conjugated the verb ver for 1st person and chosen two things that are the same verb in english (i.e. both could end in ing), so it doesn't make sense to me, at all.
But, of course, sometimes things are idiomatic, and don't make sense until (if even then) a more advanced speaker explains "that's just the way it is".
I hope I remember to look at this when I get back.
For Chileno:
I got together (met) with Juan (in order) to dance.
I got together (met) with Juan while (I or he was) dancing.
I ran into Juan dancing (either I or he was dancing - not clear).
(this is what I think)
